Pizza, Hot Dogs and Burgers - Pizza Religion, Snag Stand and Huxtaburger

I have been on a fast food splurge in the last few weeks, trying things I don't normally have.

I started off with pizza at Pizza Religion in Malvern.  Pizza Religion is new to Malvern this year, and sells gourmet pizzas in a restaurant setting.

 All pizzas except the Margherita are $20.

We ordered a Chorizo Pizza (Chorizo, Prawns, Chipotle Sauce, Jalapenos):

and a Salmon Pizza (Cured Salmon, Fried Capers, Caramelised Onions, Rocket):

My favourite was the chorizo pizza, as it had a lively kick to it.

 

To make us feel virtuous because we were eating our greens, we also ordered a tomato, olive, fetta and cucumber salad ($9):

 

We got our pizzas fairly quickly.  The service was OK.  I recommend booking a table - Pizza Religion is popular with families because pizza is a kid-friendly food.

The weekend before last, I stumbled upon the Snag Stand near Melbourne Central:

As it was lunchtime and I was hungry, I decided to give it a go.  Snag Stand sells all kinds of fancy hot dogs:

with various sides and meal combos available, as well as burgers:

I decided to go for the Backyarder - a grilled wagyu sasage on a rustic roll with coleslaw, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese ($8.90):

The sausage was really good, with a nice bit of spice.   I am a fan of BBQ sauce, so you can't go wrong there.  However, the slaw and the cheese didn't add that much to the equation, and the bun was a bun.  These are pretty pricey dogs and, while it was tasty enough, it wasn't worth the price for me.

My final excursion into fast food was Huxtaburger, a popular burger joint named after the family in The Cosby Show (obviously way before all the recent headlines): 

Huxtaburger does really good burgers.  Their basic version is the Huxtaburger (beef patty, mayo, mustard, tomato sauce, cheese, lettuce, pickles) ($9.50).  Their are several variations to the Huxtaburger with add-ons to make the Bill, the Theo and the Denise.  There is also a fried chicken burger (the Clair), a vegetarian tofu burger (the Sondra) and a mini burger (the Rudy) for kids.  You can also get crinkle cut fries, with chipotle on request.

The beauty of Huxtaburger is that you can order and pay online.  You then get a text confirming your order telling you to wait 15 minutes and then pick it up.  This is what I did - it allowed me to keep working while they made my order up, and I just sauntered in when I was ready to pick it up:

 I ordered a Huxtaburger with beetroot for an extra fifty cents:

 
I know that the rest of the world thinks Aussies are crazy for adding beetroot to their burgers (or at least David Chang does), but I tell you, there is nothing that beats beetroot on a burger - yum.

The verdict on the Huxtaburger - very tasty and very filling, although as a personal preference, I would go easy on the mayo.  But that's just me - I am not a huge fan of mayo.  Now that I have tried the Huxtaburger the way that its makers intended it (with a little beetroot thrown in), I know next time to ask for no mayo.

If you want a quick, satisfying work lunch and you are happy to take away (because the seating in the CBD Huxtaburger is very limited), my recommendation is order a Huxtaburger burger online and pick it up when you are ready - a hassle free way to beat the queues and get on with more important stuff. 

Pizza Religion

12-18 Claremont Ave

Malvern VIC 3144
Ph: (03) 9576 0444

Snag Stand

Cnr La Trobe & Swanston St

Melbourne VIC 3000

Ph: (03)  9639 6544

 

Huxtaburger

Rear 357 Collins Street

(enter via Fulham Place)

Melbourne VIC 3000

Ph: (03) 9417 6328